1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spring operated mechanical guns, and more particularly to a novel such gun wherein one or more spring loaded projectiles are launched sequentially through the actions of a trigger and a hammer similar to those found in conventional firearms.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, spring loaded projectile launchers, such as dart guns or the like, have employed a latch means, for the retention of a shaftlike projectile within a barrel, comprising a pivotally carried lever having permanently affixed to it a hook for engagement with the projectile and a finger operated trigger for pivoting the lever to disengage the hook for launch of the projectile. Such devices are generally limited to single-shot capability and must be reloaded after each launching of a single projectile.
Steiner U.S. Pat. No. 2,888,004 discloses a device for retaining and launching a plurality of projectiles which uses the aforementioned "pivoted lever, hook and trigger" latch structure. Steiner U.S. Pat. No. '004 achieves this capability by assembling a plurality of barrels 20, each provided with a latch 28 having the form previously described. Problems and difficulties are encountered with such a device due to the fact that a single finger operated trigger cannot be employed to selectively release the projectiles as would be the case in a conventional revolver or similar firearm. Rather, separate triggers must be actuated for each of the individual darts.
Ayala U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,453 discloses a dart gun having a rotatably carried magazine comprising a plurality of barrels and darts in which a single finger operated trigger selectively releases the darts. Ayala U.S. Pat. No. '453 employs a variation of the previously described latch construction in which a pivoted-trigger-and-lever assembly is made separate from the hook. A magazine 29 is constructed for multiple projectiles 30 to be interfaced with one pivoted-trigger-and-lever assembly 59, 28, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67 wherein each projectile 30 is retained in the magazine 29 by a dedicated spring biased hook 53. Problems and difficulties are encountered with such a projectile launcher which stem largely from certain functional constraints:
To effectively disengage hook 53 from projectile tab 50, hook 53 must be withdrawn radially from within the projectile passageway or barrel 46. Therefore, any release means provided must necessarily be oriented to engage and deliver releasing force to the selected hook 53 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of barrel 46. Such is the orientation of Ayala's trigger operated releasing lever 65, 66, 67.
In conventional revolvers the firing or releasing force is delivered by a hammer in the forward direction directly into the longitudinal axis of the barrel. Thus, latch means construction as taught by Ayala will not work with release means like that of a conventional gun which fires a gunpowder charged cartridge.
Further, Ayala U.S. Pat. No. '453 employs a pump type mechanism 14, 15, 40, 41, 43, 44, independent of the trigger 59 and requiring two hands for operation, to advance the barrels 46 successively into firing position. In a conventional revolver such magazine advancement is automatic. This typically involves a pawl being pivotally coupled to the trigger or hammer and biased to engage the rear exterior of the magazine, such that during a portion of the trigger's operating cycle, vertical displacement of the trigger assembly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the magazine is translated into rotation of the magazine about that axis in an angular amount equal to 360 degrees divided by the number of barrels comprised by the magazine. For a typical magazine of six barrels or less, this requires the trigger assembly to have during its operating stroke a significant vertical displacement at the interface between trigger assembly and magazine.
It can be seen that due to the proximity of Ayala's U.S. Pat. No. '453 fulcrum 63 to the rear plate 31 of magazine 29 and due to the limited movement allowed lever 62 by guide tube 35, there is negligible vertical displacement of either trigger lever 62 or trigger lever 65 at the interface between the pivoted-trigger-and-lever assembly 59, 28, 62, 63, 65 and magazine 29. It might be suggested that modifications could be made to the fulcrum location, or to guides limiting motion of trigger levers 62, 65, or that an advancement interface could be constructed between the interior of magazine 29 and the pivoted-trigger-and-lever assembly members 66, 67 having greater range of motion, whereby sufficient rotation could be achieved. However, applicant submits that such modifications would have interfering effects on other mechanisms and components of the device ultimately resulting in the need for substantial alterations outside the scope of those normally skilled in the art.
Therefore, it may be observed that a spring operated mechanical gun having latching means as taught by Ayala U.S. Pat. No. '453 will not work with the releasing hammer of a conventional gun and that a gun having releasing means as taught by Ayala U.S. Pat. No. '453 will not work with the magazine advancement mechanism of a conventional revolver.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a projectile launcher or dart gun for retaining and launching a plurality of shaftlike projectiles or darts, having a projectile magazine which requires no interface with the body of the gun aside from that normally associated with a conventional revolver, i.e.:
a means provided by the gun for rotational mounting of the magazine about its longitudinal axis;
a hammer provided by the gun aligned to strike forwardly along the longitudinal axis of the barrel and projectile in firing position; and
a pawl provided by the gun to translate motion of the gun's trigger to rotational motion of the magazine.
Additionally, in the past it has been conventional practice to employ, in revolvers and toy guns simulating the actions of revolvers, magazine advancement means wherein the magazine is rotated during the portion of the trigger operating cycle from rest position to firing position, immediately prior to the firing stroke of the hammer.
Ryan U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,950 demonstrates such a magazine advancement mechanism in which a pawl 100 carried on hammer 75 engages ratchet teeth 38 to rotate cylinder 18 as hammer 75 is drawn rearward from its rest position by actuation of trigger 85.
This and other magazine advancement mechanisms which rotate the magazine as the trigger is drawn from a rest position toward a firing position have the disadvantage, with consideration to suction cup type darts, that the suction cup of a dart in or approaching firing position, due to its large diameter with respect to that of the dart shaft, is in view of an operator sighting down the barrel, and movement of suction cups as the trigger is actuated poses a distraction from aiming the gun.
Therefore, a need exists to provide a novel magazine advancement means which actuates in response to the return of the trigger means from its firing position to the initial rest position, following the firing stroke of the hammer, thereby allowing the magazine to remain stationary during a time period including the portion of the trigger operating cycle from rest position to firing position and the firing stroke of the hammer.